D&D (2024) YOU are in charge of the next PHB! What do you change?

[Faolyn]

You can fix that by having several race as class options, like dwarf warrior, dwarf berserker, dwarf machinist, et cetera. At least one OSR game I know does this. Works out pretty well, and let's you hit several archetypes at once.

That would also me OK for me. Which game is this?

 

[Malmuria]

Enough people like to roll stats (and more importantly, associate it with D&D) that you're never going to get a mainstream version of the game that eschews it. And, as was said above, ASIs feel good with rolled stats. I think we should junk them entirely so people would actually use feats, at least past 1st level.
We all have a lot of cool ideas about how we'd change the game, but the most relevant factor is always going to be maintaining sales for the game AS D&D. You're not making your own fantasy heartbreaker here, you're publishing the next version of D&D. Just having the name changes everything.

I like rolling for stats too (but honestly would be ok with just doing 4d6 drop lowest without any ASI at all). ASIs could also be moved to class to reinforce class feel, and I'm assuming that most people put their floating +2 or select race based on what would most benefit their class anyway.

In terms of what's viable for a revised edition, It's honestly not that much of a shift from what's in Tasha's anyway. Race would be thematic, according to setting, but less important during character creation mechanically.

 

[Mind of tempest]

SCAG was very experimental when it came to subclass design, being it was the first project outside the PHB to add new ones. It's not surprising they dropped the racial requirements on subclasses (and removed it off the one they reprinted). In light of races becoming less important mechanically, I don't think this is design space WotC has any intention to explore except for those youthful dalliances.

not locked into a race but generated from a races lore, so a human can become a bladedancer but it was invented by elves and says a lot about elves.

 

[Greg K]

I just edited my post about Mearls discussing how the class design guidelines were finalized after some classes having already been completed. I left off the word some. Aargh! I will be glad when the remaining COVID long haul symptoms are gone and, among other things, I can review and edit what I am posting without difficulty.

 

[tetrasodium]

Get rid of subraces. Make the races look more like the "survivor" statblocks in VGR complete with the low ability scores & a couple thematic abilities. Plud a bunch of stuff others mentioned already. In short make 6e because 5e is designed to fight any attempts at changes

 

[Micah Sweet]

That would also me OK for me. Which game is this?

Adventurer Conqueror King by Autarch.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I like rolling for stats too (but honestly would be ok with just doing 4d6 drop lowest without any ASI at all). ASIs could also be moved to class to reinforce class feel, and I'm assuming that most people put their floating +2 or select race based on what would most benefit their class anyway.

In terms of what's viable for a revised edition, It's honestly not that much of a shift from what's in Tasha's anyway. Race would be thematic, according to setting, but less important during character creation mechanically.

I really think race/species/lineage needs to have some mechanical weight. These are iconic fantasy archetypes, and it is expected that a dwarf and an elf are different in some intrinsic way. Replacing ASIs with some cool racial abilities would be my preference. We just need to figure out what they are.

 

[teitan]

I think a new edition would be more satisfying to everyone if they had some verson of a basic/advanced split, probably without calling it that. 5e has grown successful in part by catering to a wide variety of playstyles, but becomes 'everyone's second-favorite edition.' When these discussions of what the next edition should include come up you can almost guess what people's favorite edition is. Some people really like the simplicity and maybe only play 10-15 times a year and haven't gotten past level 6. Other people have lots of opinions about the best paladin subclass including UA options, having played all of them.

This currently exists in 5e, pay attention to what says "Optional Rule". Turning off all the optional rules gives you what you are asking for while turning them on allows you to customize the game in different ways that can really change the flavor and style of game and complexity. See this list for what is specifically called out.

 

[teitan]

I've rationalized nature clerics as the coming of a new religious paradigm pushing out the "old ways" of druidism, but it's been an awkward fit having both in the system all these years, for sure.

I view one as Wicca or Druidic revivalism and the other as the remnants of the old religion.

 

[Remathilis]

Enough people like to roll stats (and more importantly, associate it with D&D) that you're never going to get a mainstream version of the game that eschews it. And, as was said above, ASIs feel good with rolled stats. I think we should junk them entirely so people would actually use feats, at least past 1st level.
We all have a lot of cool ideas about how we'd change the game, but the most relevant factor is always going to be maintaining sales for the game AS D&D. You're not making your own fantasy heartbreaker here, you're publishing the next version of D&D. Just having the name changes everything.

Meh. You're rolling stats randomly with the expressed knowledge that you could end up with a very strong or a very weak set of scores. You know the risks, let the dice fall where they may. Only rolled a 14? Don't expect racial mods to bail you out.